The short answer: two to six weeks
For a straightforward swap where the layout stays the same, expect the physical fitting to take roughly one to two weeks. Add a full redesign with moved plumbing, new electrics, plastering and flooring, and you are realistically looking at three to six weeks on site.
That is the fitting time only. It does not include the design, ordering and lead times beforehand, which are where most of the real waiting happens.
What actually eats the time
The build itself rarely runs late because of the joinery. Delays come from the trades that need to visit in a set order, and from materials that have to be measured after the units are in.
- Worktop templating: solid quartz or granite is measured once units are fitted, then cut off site, adding 7 to 14 days before it can be installed.
- Plastering and drying: freshly plastered walls need a few days to dry before painting.
- Moving services: relocating a sink, gas hob or consumer unit brings in a plumber, gas-safe engineer or electrician and needs scheduling around their availability.
- Older Barry properties: solid walls, uneven floors and dated wiring in pre-war and Victorian homes often add a day or two of remedial work.
A typical week-by-week timeline
Here is how a mid-sized project with some layout changes tends to run. Yours may compress or stretch depending on scope.
- Week 1: strip out the old kitchen, first-fix plumbing and electrics, plastering.
- Week 2: units fitted, appliances positioned, worktops templated.
- Week 3: worktops installed, sink and hob connected, tiling and splashbacks.
- Week 4: flooring, second-fix electrics, painting, snagging and final checks.
Plan the ordering, not just the fitting
The part people forget is lead time on the kitchen itself. Standard ranges can arrive within a couple of weeks, but bespoke or painted units and certain appliances can take six to ten weeks from order.
Our advice is simple: do not book a start date until everything is in your garage or our store. A kitchen held up waiting on one delayed cabinet or the wrong worktop colour is far more disruptive than a start date pushed back a fortnight. We confirm the full delivery before we lift a single old unit.
How to keep yours on track
Most overruns are avoidable with a bit of front-loading. Sign off the design and every finish early, and resist changing your mind once units are ordered, as a late layout change can reset the worktop and tiling schedule.
- Set up a temporary kitchen with a microwave, kettle and a spare worktop before day one.
- Choose tiles, handles, paint and flooring at the design stage, not mid-build.
- Agree who is supplying appliances early so nothing holds up the final connections.
Published 1 July 2026 · BBS Wales